A gas turbine engine generally includes a core, and the core of the gas turbine engine generally includes, in serial flow order, a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section. A flow of compressed air is provided from the compressor section to the combustion section, wherein the compressed air is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate combustion gases. The combustion gases flow through the turbine section, driving the core. An igniter is provided within the combustion section, attached to a casing within the combustion section and extending to or through, e.g., a combustion liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber. Certain gas turbine engines utilize nontraditional high temperature materials, such as ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials for the combustion liner. Such CMC materials may generally be better capable of withstanding the extreme temperatures within the combustion chamber. However, such CMC materials define different coefficients of thermal expansion than other metal components (such as the casing within the combustion section).
Accordingly, the igniter may be movably attached to the combustion liner using a mounting assembly. The mounting assembly may allow for movement of the igniter relative to the combustion liner. However, such mounting assemblies typically leave a void surrounding an end of the igniter to provide sufficient room for the igniter to move relative to the combustion liner. Such voids may be susceptible to ingestion of the combustion gases within the combustion chamber, potentially elevating a temperature of the components exposed to such congested combustion gases past a safe operating level.
Thus, an igniter capable of minimizing such ingestion of combustion gasses in the void surrounding the tip of the igniter would be useful. More particularly, an igniter capable of minimizing such ingestion of combustion gasses in the void surrounding the tip of the igniter, while also maintaining a temperature of the tip of the igniter below a desired threshold would be particularly beneficial.